Hot on the heels of the A110 R's debut earlier this week, Alpine has a surprise in store for deep-pocketed Formula 1 fans. Meet the Fernando Alonso version, a limited-run special edition with an astronomical price tag of €148,000 at home in France where the regular R retails for €105,000. It goes without saying you're looking at the most expensive car Renault’s performance division has ever sold.
Only 32 will be made, and there's a perfectly good reason for that. The veteran driver triumphed in 32 races during his illustrious F1 career, which started all the way back in 2001 at the Australian Grand Prix with Minardi. As you have probably heard, the Alpine driver has already signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin to replace Sebastien Vettel. 41-year-old Fernando Alonso Díaz has made it crystal clear he doesn't plan to retire anytime soon.
Alpine A110 R Fernando Alonso
Ok, but what's so special about this car to warrant the massive €43,000 premium over the regular A110 R? Well, it comes exclusively in matte blue to mirror the Alpine F1 car and wears Alonso's signature on the rear quarter glass. France's flag is replaced by Alonso's blue-yellow-orange scheme, with the latter shade having been used on the brake calipers and inside the cabin. The interior gets the driver's signature embroidered onto the headrests.
Perhaps the biggest change is for the carbon fiber hood since it has been painted in matte blue. There's also an individually numbered plaque to denote the special edition's exclusivity while the sun visor carries Alonso's motto: "There is more than one path to the top of the mountain." A signed replica helmet comes bundled with the purchase of the vehicle.
The A110 R Fernando Alonso retains the turbocharged 1.8-liter gasoline engine with 300 horsepower and 340 Newton-meters (250 pound-feet) of torque. Exclusively for track use is the ride height lowered by an additional 10 millimeters (0.4 inches). It gets carbon fiber 18-inch wheels with 320-mm Brembo brakes and all the other goodies of the regular R.
As a final note, it's worth mentioning this is not the first sports car signed by Fernando Alonso as there was also a Ferrari 599 GTB about a decade ago, built by Maranello to celebrate 60 years of F1 wins.
